#WeekendCoffeeShare Road Tripping

April 9, 2017 — #weekendcoffeeshare, Arizona, coffee, Hohokam, road trip, ruins

Casa Grande Ruins

Casa Grande Ruins

Casa Grande Ruins

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Casa Grande Ruins

If we were having coffee I would invite you to relax with a cup of tea or coffee of your choice.  It is getting warm (hot for most of you), so I have a couple of iced teas on hand to quench your thirst and take the edge off the heat.  We just returned from a road trip to take in the blooming trees and cacti.  We always intended to visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, but have somehow managed to postpone the visit for years.  The place is out of the way, so we created an itinerary around it.  Initially we had planed to go to the Greek Monastery in Florence, then the ruins. When we passed the road to the monastery it was too early to visit, so we decided to drive a few more miles to a place we know and love, Queen Creek.

We stopped to shop and picnic at the Queen Creek Olive Mill which as expanded since we last saw the place.  It was swarming with customers, but the ample outdoor picnic space is ample. We purchased a few choice groceries and a mimosa for me, then headed out to the porch to enjoy our fare. After lunch we went across the street to the Schempf Farms for a little more gourmet grocery procurement before we hit the ruins, about 15 miles down the road.  My senior pass gets us in to all the National parks and monuments forever for free.  It is my favorite senior benefit.

The ruins must have been a complete wonder when first built.  The Casa Grande has such thick walls that even in the heat of summer the people could find great relief inside.  At one time when the rivers flowed these people had a great civilization, which vanished.  Like the Anasazi people the Hohokam had advanced agriculture that sustained a large population for a while.  Nobody knows exactly how and why they vanished.  The Parks Service does not restore, but does preserve the structures as much as possible.  It is impressive that it is still standing.  It gives one a very large sense of history.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I am still true to #NaPoWriMo, although I do not plan to combine the two this week.  I will write another one with a poem in it today. I am really impressed with many of the contributors this year.  I have been reading some very inspirational poetry of all kinds.  I never knew there were so many formal formats in use.  Some poets are incredibly flexible with all these various forms.  I just crank one out in some form every day, and am satisfied just to do that. How are your writing projects going?  I know many are going to novel writing camp this month. That seems like a very big challenge to me, but the poems I can handle.  How are you handling your latest challenges?

Me in ruins

Thanks for stopping by today for a beverage and a visit.  I look forward to spending time on the weekends catching up with this talented group.  To read, comment, or submit your own coffee share post, please visit Nerd in the Brain.  Meet interesting writers from all over the world.

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